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Lesson 5
Rizal’s Higher Education Life Abroad
Education at the Ateneo
 June 1872 – Jose was sent to Manila to study at the Ateneo Municipal
 Ateneo was the former Escuela Pia or Charity school of Manila under the supervision of Jesuits.
 Ateneo was the counterpart of Colegio de San Juan de Letran
 Don Francisco changed his mind and decided to send Rizal to Ateneo Municipal
 Rizal almost did not enroll by the school registrar Fr. Magin Fernando because of two reasons;
1. He was late for registration
2. He appeared to be frail and sickly
 Through the intercession of Manuel Burgos, Jose was able to enter Ateneo.
 Jose used the surname “Rizal” for the first time
 Jose was called an “externo” or a living out students during his days in Ateneo Municipal
 Fr. Jose Bech – first professor of Jose in Ateneo
 Jesuits system of education encouraged competition among students.
 Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class and assigned with the Carthaginians

The class was divided into two groups:

1. Carthaginian (the non-boarder of Ateneo) externo\
2. Roman (the boarder inside Ateneo) interno
 Emperor: the best student
 Tribune: the second best student
 Decurion: The third best student
 Centurion: The fourth best student
 Standard Bearer: The fifth best student

 Within the empire, the students fought for these positions by challenging the ones holding the ranks to answer
questions based on the day’s lesson.
 Historia Universal by Cesar Cantu

Favorite books of Rizal

 Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
 Travels to the Philippines by Feodor Jagor
 Jose took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during break time to improve his knowledge of Spanish.
 After a month, Rizal became the emperor and he was considered as the brightest student of the class.
 In his second year and third year in Ateneo, nothing usual happened to Rizal.
 In his fourth year and third year in Ateneo, Rizal was inspired to study hard and to write poetry by one of his best
professors, Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez – a great educator and scholar
 He expressed his ideas on the values of education in his poem “Through Education The Motherland Receives
Light”
 Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration) – a poem dedicated to his mother on her birthday
 -he was 14 years when he wrote this poem
 In Memory of My Town – a tender poem in honor of Calamba
 Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education – it shows the importance of religion in education
 A Farewell Dialogue of the Students – the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo
 He Excelled in all subjects and won five medals at end of the school term.
 March 23, 1877 – he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honors.

Rizal’s Studies at the University of Santo Tomas (UST)

 After Rizal completed his education at the Ateneo, his mother wanted him to return home and look after the
family business.
 April 1877- Rizal was 16 years old, enrolled at the UST taking Philosophy and Letters.
 Rizal was still unsure of what course to take.
 He tried to seek guidance from Father Pablo Ramon but since he was in Mindanao.
 For his first term, Rizal studied at the Philosophy program.
 In the following term he decided to shift to medicine.

 His decision was prompted by his desire to:

 cure his mother’s failing eyesight
 Fr. Ramon wrote back advising Jose to take up medicine
 Highly in demand course
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 Rizal entered a very different world in UST as a student.

 Rizal spent his time studying. He returned to Ateneo to take up a land surveying course which was then a
vocational course.
 He completed the surveyor’s course and was awarded the title of Perito Agrimensor

Experience of Spanish Brutality

 Rizal experienced his first taste of brutality during his first year of medical studies at UST.
 One night while he was walking alone a dark street, Rizal failed to recognize the Spanish civil guard, passing by
his side, thus he did not bow, salute or greet the man. At a striking distance, the civil guard whipped Rizal
mercilessly at the back with a stingray tail (buntot pagi)

Literary Works of Rizal in University of Sto. Tomas

 To the Filipino Youth (Sa Kabataang Pilipino/A La Juventud Filipina) – a winning masterpiece which he
submitted in the literacy contest held by Liceo-Artistico-Literario of Manila.
 “The youth is the fair hope of our Fatherland”
 The Council of Gods (El Consejo De Los Dioses) – it was another contest of Liceo-Artistico-Literario to
commemorate the death of Miguel Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote.
 The study of Rizal at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) was not meaningful and fruitful just like when he was at
Ateneo.
 Rizal after completing his four years in Medical School decided to leave for Europe.
 Rizal’s Decision to leave for Spain had the blessings of his brother Paciano and his uncle Antonio Rivera.
 He decided not to seek his parents’ blessing knowing that they will never approve his plan.